Back to School

Now that summer has come and gone, we are getting back into a school routine.  It's always harder for me to get back into this routine than it is for the kids!  They have done a great job setting their alarms and getting up early to get to school on time.  Our goals for this year are:  No tardies! No Conduct  Marks! and Good Grades!

 

 

3rd Grade

5th grade

Our principal Mrs. Wright

Third grade teacher Miss Pool

 It has been a successful start and we are looking forward to a great school year!

Summer Recap

It has been a fun and busy summer and it is quickly coming to an end!  I know you've been dying to know what we have been doing so here is a picture collage recap of our summer! :)

As soon as school let out in May, we headed to Houston to watch the boys of summer play!  We were rooting for the Chicago Cubs but once again they disappointed us with a loss.  Although they lost, we really enjoyed the game.  The Astros stadium is indoors so it was quite comfortable and there was an energetic atmosphere.  It was a great way to kick off our summer of fun!

After returning from Houston, it was potato diggin' time!  My parents have quite a large vegetable farm and my kids are the happiest when they can help in the garden field!  When Papa called and said it was time to dig potatoes, we took a road trip to the farm.  The kids had a grand time playing in the dirt! :)
Potatoes taste so much better when they are fresh from the ground.  My mouth is watering now...

Catching up with friends is another highlight of our summer.  We started things off right with a visit to my best friend"s home to take a dip in the pool, have a water balloon fight and bite into a juicy watermelon!  That watermelon was so yummy that it made our eyes cross (check out Levi's silly picture)!
Friends make the summer so much sweeter!

VBS....Vacation Bible School!  I have to say that this is one of the most anticipated adventures of the summer.  VBS always takes us on an adventure through the Bible and around the world!  This year's theme was Amazing Wonders!  We journeyed to the seven wonders of the world and learned about our Awesome God and His Amazing Power.  Next year....we will be hanging on tight as we face our fears and trust God with Colossal Coaster World!  It's sure to be the time of our life!

Summer is not complete without a mission trip!  The past four summers I have left part of my heart in Brazil.  The people there are so loving and eager to hear the gospel.  This year God showed out in a huge way!  We traveled to a city that we had never worked in and over 4500 people made decisions to follow Christ!!  Next year, we will return and work along side our brothers and sisters in Christ to continue to share the gospel in Montes Claros, Brazil!  To God be the Glory!

Last week, our annual Summer Musical Activites for Kids took place.  It's an intense week of singing, drama and FUN!  The musical this year told the story of Noah and the kids did a dynamic job of telling about God's salvation through singing and acting. 

Now we are gearing up for another school year and saying goodbye to summer....until next year!

Softball

Softball season is here again!  Claire and Levi are both much improved from last year.  Their daddy has been keeping up with their stats on Facebook in hopes that they will be drafted to the major leagues one day!  We will just have to wait and see!  In the meantime, we will continue to enjoy our Dusty Cut league.

Levi is the 10th batter.  That means he is the clean up guy and he has hit a grand slam on more than one occasion!

And she SCORES!!

Daddy has been helping coach first or third base.

Awards Day 2012

Claire and Levi both had a very successful school year!  They have both proved to be good learners and they always put forth their best effort to make the honor roll.  They were both rewarded for their hard work this year and I have to say that they have made their momma and daddy proud! 

We are so thankful for a principal who pushes our students to achieve success and teachers that care and pour their hearts into teaching!  As much as we enjoyed this school year, we are thrilled that SUMMER is finally here!  Bring on the SUMMER FUN!

Heading Home

After a great stay in Pigeon Forge, it was finally time for us to head home.  We decided to stop for a little more sightseeing in Chattanooga, TN which was on our way home.  Our first stop was at the Chattanooga Choo-Choo.

The next stop was the Incline Railway, one of the steepest passenger trains in the world.  This train takes you straight up Lookout Mountain where you can enjoy the scenic views of the mountains and valleys.  There are also many points of  Civil War interest at the top of Lookout Mountain but for times sake we didn't get to visit these sites.

View from the top of Lookout Mountain

After descending the mountain on the train, we drove back up the mountain to Rock City.  The beauty of Rock City was amazing.  There are massive rock formations, hundreds of native plants and beautiful panoramic views.  Oh yea...they have Gnome Village and Fairyland Caverns too!

Mushroom Rock

Lover's Leap

Fat Man's Squeeze

Hansel and Gretel

Last stop in Chattanooga....Ruby Falls.  Ruby Falls is America's highest underground waterfall.  We wandered through the cave that Leo Lambert reopened to the public in 1938.  Ruby Falls is named after his wife Ruby.

Not sure what Levi is pouting about?

We traveled a few more hours after leaving Chattanooga and spent the night in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.  My favorite part of the whole day took place in Tuscaloosa.  I was able to connect with a friend from seminary and actually got to see her face to face for the first time in 10 years!  We picked up where we left off and had a grand time eating mexican food, catching up and listening to our kids get to know one another.

My sweet friend, Tanya

 

 

Acting like brothers and sisters!

 

We were all wore out from our wonderful vacation!!

 

Great Smoky Mtns. Part II

We finally arrived at the Cove and were transported back in time as we toured the settlement.

The Main House

The Smokehouse

Inside the smokehouse

Grist Mill

Fresh Corn Meal

Old Barn

Inside the Barn

When leaving the Cove we saw several cars on the side of the road and thought we should stop to see what they were doing.  They had come upon several dear in the woods.  We walked closer to get a look and realized there was a deer bedded down right next to us!  We could have reached out and touched her.  A park ranger came to move us along so we wouldn't frighten her.  We were so excited to have been this close to a deer!

A day in the Great Smoky Mountains was a great way to end our stay in Pigeon Forge!  

We were in awe at all that God had created!

"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." Genesis 1:1